Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Sent. 10, 1887.

AS lutiinhJeu III u lOTineT lelttT,
there is no secret here of the ab.
sOlute dicOrce of the Administration
from the uncongenial alliance with
the Mugwnmps. The democracy
never meant the union to be an
honorable and lasting one, and the
only matter of astonlshment Is that
they have sojorned together so
long as they have. The decree Of
separation has been issued, aud
Cleveland leayes the old lady and
the offspring to search and wander
for themselves, while he rushes
over, With all the household effects,
to the out-stretched arms of pure
unauthorized, partisan democracy.
1t is the old story of promise, infa-
my and desertiOn. And perhaps
this treatment is really merited.
Certainly it is in perfect harmony
with the history of the democratic
party for the past forty years or
more. They are good TO promise,
but bad to redeem. The older
readers of this letter will well re.
member the democratic campaign
of Polk, Dallas, and the Tariff of
40" That was the battle cry then,
for Pennsylvania was necessary to
success, and hence they put Dallas
on the ticket, a Pennsylvania, and
locked arms with protection, and
won the campaign. What was the
result 7 Why, the very first ses-
sion of Congress under the admin
istration of Polk repealed the tariff
Of 40, and that by the casting vote
of Dallas himself. There is no use
in multiplying instances since that
time to show the duplicity and per-
fidy of the democratic party. It's
history is blurred from beginning
to end with just such hypocrisy. 1t
Is no better or worse now than for
ty or twenty years ago, and there
is no hope of it being better in the
future than in the past. Profess
sions count for nothing among
thoughtful men, when made by
party with such a history. But
the difficulty heretofore has been
that the thinking comes too late.
That is a great misfortune OF the
mugwumps. They left the Repub.
lican party in q fever of heat ba.
cause they did not like the Chicago
nominees, and that was all, and
tramped through the filth of cam
paign over to the democratic camp
and received promises of fool and
shelter in consideration of their
votes that actually elected Cleve-
land. Now, after two and a.half
years of quarrel and contention,
they are unceremoniously pointed
down the back stairs of the Execu-
tive Mansion. 1t don't seem posi-
bic that there are other discontents
that want to try their hand with
democracy, after all the teachings
OF the past.
A new idea has just forced itself
to the front which Is making quite
a commotion among numerous De-
partment clerks. The Civil Service
Commission, DESTROYS of "turning
the rascals out" have racked their
brains for every conceivable pre-
tense, and at last have hit upon an
additional device. 1t has the sem
blance of fairness and rather in &C
cord with the spirit OF the Civil
Service law, ifconstrued as revolu-
tionary in its action. They have
discovered the momentOus fact that
several of the Northern and Yves
tern States have more than their
quota of appointments, while sew
eral of the Southern States have
less, and that several are credited
to States who really have no legal
residence therein. The whole thing
is to be investigated, and the sur
plus cut of, aud particularly those
who are wrongly credited. This of
course means Republicans and is
regarded as an excellent snbterfuge
to make place for administration
adherents. 1t looks like pretty
small business, but the pressure is
so fearful and the clamor 80 per.
sistent, that there is scarcely any
way of escape, so the door will be
opened, and experience and skill
will walk out while lncompetency
and swsgger will stroll in, and all
under the guise of "impIoving the
public service"
The State Department is consld.
erably incensed at the recent speech
OF the Queen in closing the British
Parliament, wherein she claims,
among other things, that the joint
commission to settle the fish ques.
ton between this Government and
England, is another distinct and
positive triumph of British dIplo-
macy. AS to the truth of this
claim, the people of this country
are in bllssful ignorance up to date,
for the State Department has reso.
lutely abstalDed from giving the
public any information touching
negotiations gong on. This decla.